Improvement in elevators



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. SLUSSER.

Elevator.

Patented Dec. 2, 1879.

INYENTOR WITNESSBS ATTORNEYS.

,PETERS. PHOTaLITMOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D L

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. SLUSSER.

Elevator. No. 222,318. Patented Dec. 2,1879.

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ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS. PHom-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITEDjS'iTEs PATENT OIINICLI..l

BENJAMIN sLUssER, oF SIDNEY, oHIo. 4,

`I'MPuovl-:M ENT IN ELEvAToRs.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 222.318,'duated December 2, 1879; application filed september 24, 1879. l

` To all whom it may concern:

Beit kuowuthat I, BENJAMIN SLUssER., of Sidney, in the county of Shelby and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Elevator for Buildings; yand I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming ypart of this specification, in which- Figure l is anv edge'view of the elevator, partly in section. Fig. 2 is an edgeview of theelevator from the opposite side.` Fig.A 3 is a plan view of a part of the trap-door of the hatchway with thevguideiin section through line w Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a side view; Figf,

a detail of theclutch-frame.

My invention relates to an improved construction of elevator for4 warehouses and other -buildings,constructed with a View to securofthe rope; secondly, inthe peculiar means for opening and closiuga set of automatically;

operated trap-doors for the hatchways, `wh ich are opened above and closed after the platform in rising, and also openedv below and closed above the platform in descending, so that at `no time is the hatchw'ay left open, thirdly, in the peculiar construction of the platform, which is built with a view -to securing strength without great weight, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, AA represent the two vertical side posts or beams, to which are attached the guide-bars B B, which are made df iron and extend the whole distance the elevator is designedto travel. C is the elevator proper, which is constructed as follows: A bar of iron, a a a', Figs. Il and 4, constitutes the main frame, and "is bent three times at theltop to forma bail, andthen extends down each side -parallel with and inside of the guide-bars.

. At the lower ends of each side of bar a is arranged `a horizontally-projecting kU-shaped *guides to steady the platform of bars a. These iron brackets carry each two wooden beams, D D', of whichthe'inner beams, D D. and inner bend of each bracket, are bolted through the lower end of bars'a, while the outer beams, Dl D', and the outer ben'do'f the brackets, are bolted tothe inclined hangers or suspending-rods E These hangers are bolted at the top to the main frame, and across the beams D D is laid the flooring of the platform. In boltingtheinner beams, D D, together they are extended out past the floor of the platform, as at y, Fig. 4, so as to embrace the guide-bars B B and form in its vertical movement. y j

For holding the platform when theirope breaks, a peculiar form of safetyclutch is provided. To the upper end of the framework carrying the platform are attached upwardlyprojecting and offsetting arms b,` to one of which,.on each side, is pivoted thejclutcheframe F. This frame consists of a short horizontal bar having two lugs, z z, formin'ga notch between the same, that receives'the guidebar B (see Fig. 5) and two rollers, p p, placed upon opposite sides of the notch, andoneabove and the other belowwthe frame. Now,whenever the frame F is horizontal the rollers p p rest against the guide-bars B, and the frameand platform move freely up and down. rWhen,

however, a strain is brought upon the outer end of the frame to depress it, theedges of the lugs in the clutch-frame bind againstthe bar B and cramp against the same with 'sufficient ina. link, d, which encircles bar a and forms` an attachment for the rope wherebythe platform is lifted.

Now, it will be seen whenever there is a .tension on the rope the link d liftsthe' inner ends of the levers c c, which movement' depresses their outer ends and holds `the clutchframe horizontal with its rollers against bar A for free movement. When, however, this tension on the rope ceases by breakage or other cause, the inner and heavier ends of the levers descend, while their outer ends rise and throw the edges of the notches of the frame against the bar A to cramp it, while the weight ofthe platform as suspended from the offsetting arm at the long end of the clutch-frame serves to increase the binding and arrest by friction any downward movement of said platform. To render the action of theclutch-frame more sensitive, a spring, e, is arranged on each side of a brace, j', to press the clutchd'rame into its engaging position whenever the breaka-ge occurs in the rope. The inner ends of the levers c c may, however, be weighted sufticiently to dispense with this feature.

To avoid the danger of falling through the open hatehways of the several iioors, I hinge to each side of each hatchway a door, G, Fig. 3, which two doors of each hatchway close in the center and drop down when they are to be opened.

To automatically operate these doors, as described, l attach to them, at their hinges at each end and on each side, upwardly-projecting arms g, whose function is to close the doors on the upward movement, while below the hatchway l pivot in hangers h, Fig. l, the levers t, jointed to rigid arms depending from the doors, which close said doors on the downward movement.

To lock the doors when closed a double sliding locking-bolt, j, Figs. 2 and 3, is arranged to embrace the vertical bars A and slide under the doors-one branch under one door and the other branch under the other door. This bolt is withdrawn by the attached arm h2 of a vertical rock -shat't, k, and shot again to its place by a pendent weighted arm, l.

The rock-shaft lc terminates above the Hoor in a bent arm, k', near one of the arms g, and terminates below in a second bent arm, k2. Both of these heilt arms lc k2, as also the arm g and levers fi, are in range of contact with rollers m, located on the extremities ofthe offsetting arms b of the plattbrm-frame.

The operation ot' the parts is as follows: supposing the platform and frame to be below the iioor, and the trap-doors above being closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. lhen when the platform and frame rises the rollers m strike first the lower ends of levers t', Fig. l, slightly raising the doors, so as to relieve the bolts of their weight. Quickly following this the rollers strike the lower arm, k2, Fig. 2, of the rock-shaft k, and, rocking it vertically, its arm k2 withdraws the double bolt j from beneath the doors, allowing them to fall open ot' their own gravity, and the upper part of the platform-frame passes through. As the platform itself is about to pass through, a set ot' rollers, a, on each corner of the platform strike the now horizon tal arms g, and by lifting them, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, bring back the doors to a horizontal position, said rollers at the same time striking the upper arm, k',

of the rock-shaft and withdrawing the boltj,

which, as soon as the rollers leave the arm, is

hot under the door by. the pendent weighted In descending the rollers a (see dotted lines of Fig. 2) strike tirst the arm q and slightly raise the doors to allow the bolts to be withdrawn, when, quickly following this action, the saine rollers strike arms k of the rockshaft to withdraw the bolts. The doors then drop down, and as the top of the platformframe passes through the iioor the rollers m strike the ends of levers z, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, to restore the doors to the closed position, while the same rollers m acting ou lower arm, k2, Fig. 2, ot' the rock shaft with draws the bolt, and theweighted arm again shoots it beneath the doors to lock them closed.

As shown, l have arranged the lock device at one end only ofthe door; but in practice I propose to lock the doors upon both sides, to enable them to stand considerable weight.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is l. The safety-clutch for an elevator, consisting ot' the clutch-frame F, notched to receive the guide-bar, and provided with rollers p p, combined with and pvoted to the platform-frame on one side, and connected by levers c c with the draft-rope for holding the clutch-frame in its normal position, substantially as described.

2. The combination,with the vertical guidebars and the movable platform-frau1e,` of a right-angular bar or clutch-frame, notched to receive the gt1itle-barsand pivoted at one side of the guide-bars to the said platformframe, so as to cause the weight of the platform to cramp the guide-bars and arrest the downward movement of the same, as described.

3. The combination of the trap-doors having arms g and levers t', the rock-shaft k, connected with bolt j, and having arms k k2, together with the movable platform having ott'- setting projections for striking and operating said arms, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the guide-bar B and the double trap-doors, ot' the bifurcated boltj, arranged to embrace the guide-bar and hold up both doors, together with suitable mechanism for operating said bolts.

5. The platform frame consisting of the single bent bar a a a', the U-shaped brackets l P, carrying beams D D', and the suspending-rods E E, the inner beams, D, and arms of the bracket being bolted through the lower ends of bars a', and the outer beams and arm of the brackets being bolted to the suspending-rods E, substantially as described.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 12th day of September, 1879.

Witnesses: B. SLUSSER.

SoLoN C. KEMON, EDWD. W. BYRN. 

